Tension rolling means



Feb. 6, 1940. T, SENDZMR l 2,189,329

TENS ION ROLLING MEANS original Filed July 16, 1955 s sheets-Sheet 1 u 1mm- INVENTOR ADEusz SE/vc'z/M/R.V

ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 6, 1940.

T. SENDZIMIR TENSION ROLLING MEANS Original Filed July 16, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 77405052 SL-(vaz/M/e.

BY www ATTORNEYS.

Feb. 6,1940.. T SENDZiMlR 2,189,329

TENSION ROL-LING MEANS" Original Filed July 1S. 1935 3 Sheets-'Sheet 5 INVENTOR` TADEUSZ SENDZIMIR ATTORNEYS vmi Patented Feb. 6, 194() l y UNITED STATES PATENT o FElcE '.lNSION` ROLLING IHEANS 'raaeusz sendzimir, Katnwice, Ponnassignor l to The American Rolling Mill Company, Middletown, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application July 16, 1935, Serial lNo.' 31,697. Divided and this application June 4, 1936, Serial No. 83,534

17 claims. (o1. so-szl My invention relates to the rolling of metal gation. The combination of the two feeding destrips of a wide variation in widths and thickvices, positively geared together, by way of exness, in which tension applied to the piecey is ample, and acting concurrently at different Y either part or all of the working force applied speeds on the same strip, the speeds increasing thereto. 'I-his application is a division of my in the direction of movement of the strip, is a application Serial No. 31,697, filed July 16, 1935 combination which will exert tension on-the strip. which matured into Patent No. 2,169,711 on Aug- Since pure stretching or elastic 'elongation is to ust 15, 1939, and my copending applicatin Serial be avoided as much as possible, the operation of No. 31,698, led of even date therewith, is also the system depends upon the elongating device,

a division thereof. namely, the mill, adapted to exert transverse m It is the object of -my invention to provide a pressure on the strip. Such a mill will have both tension rolling practice in which the metal strip a forward and a back tension exerted upon it is extended during each pass by a definite amount through the action of the feeding-in and feedingin length, irrespective of the pulling force apout devices. Since these devices operate in a. preplied thereto.,` I am thus enabled safely and regdetermined ratio of motions, to give a desired u ularly to apply tensioning forces which could not 4 elongation, the system is operative so long as be applied according to existing practice, and the mill produces an elongation substantially also I avoid defective operations incident to nonequivalent to that predetermined. I uniform material used as a starting material. It is well known that strip for cold rolling It .is evident that if a metal strip is permitted commercially produced, is subject to sporadic so' to pass toward a pair of workingrolls, either idle variations both as to temper and gauge. In the or driven .at a definite speed per minute, and the manufacture of finished stock, particularly for piece is drawn out of the working rolls at a deiiautomotive and like uses, it is imperative that 'nite speed per minute, that the difference begauge variationsoriginally occurringin'the starttween the entering speed and the exit speed ising pieces be not exaggerated in the finished prod-. an absolute measure of the elongation of the strip. uct. An operative situation is attained if gauge I will further describe the general aspects of variations in the finished piece, considering its my method by reference to'diagrams, and will thinness, arev not substantially more than prodescribe mechanisms suitable for carrying out my portional to gauge variations in the -starting method, the inventive features of my invention piece; considering its thickness. An ideal situabeing set forth in the appended claims.' tion would be approached more closely by the In the-drawings: l securing of a finished. piece in which the gauge Figure 1 is an elevational view of an apparatus .variations were less than the proportional relasuitable for the practicing of my invention. tionship referred to. 3d Figure 2 is a plan view thereof. My system is self-compensating as respects 35 y VFigure 3 is a sectional view of an exemplary these factors. If the elongation produced by the form of feeding device. mill tends to increase, asby the rolling of a spot Figure 4 is a plan view thereof. of softer temper in the strip, the tension between Figure 5 is a partial transverse section. the mill and the feeding-out device will decrease, .l0 Figure 6 illustrates another type of pulling dethus tending to lessen the forces producing elon- 40 vice in semi-diagrammatic elevation. gation. If the elongation produced by the milll Figure 7 is a plan View more clearly showing tends to decrease, as when a. thicker spot of the the drives for the various mechanisms. strip or a spot of harder temper reaches the mill,

Figure 8 is a sectional view of a planetary arthe tension will increase, `thus tending to increase rangement which may be employed in connecthe elongation. The back tension tends to vary tion with the drives. with the forward tension, as will be clear, to com- In carrying out my invention I roll a metal plete the compensation aforesaid. The relationstrip in such a way that the elongation thereof ships between tension, screw pressures in the I remains constant. To this end, in the apparatus mill and elongation, are known. Thus it will be 5,0 aspect of my invention, I provide a strip reducing obvious that with the Variations in tension which and elongating device, such as a mill, and a posioccur as aforesaid, the compensatory effects take` tive feeding-in device therefor, as well as a posiplace in the mill. These compensatory effects tive feeding-out device, the two last mentioned counteract the normal tendencies for thinner or devices being positively driven with a ratio of softer parts of the strip to be elongated more motion corresponding to a predetermined elonthan in proportion to the general elongation, Ind f for harder or thicker parts of the strip to receive less than their proportional elongation.

Nevertheless, because the elongation is constant, as determined by the organization of apparatus to which I have referred, the tension variations which permit uniform elongation are controlled so that the danger of breakingthev strip is avoided. It would not be possible by any other system of which I am aware, artificially to produce varying tensions in the strip without serious danger of breakage. specific elongation directly affects the tension, the general elongation remaining constant, Vso that I do not encounter the difficulties which arise when strip moving instrurnentalities` are attempted to be controlled as to speed in accordance withmeasurements of a variable condition. A primary one of such difficulties is to be found in the fact that the response of the controlled apparatus is delayed so that the controlling condition frequently has altered by the time Ythe compensatory effect comes into play. In my system the active devices are so correlated that there is no intermediary agency between cause and effect in the controlling and controlled agencies.

The general features of my invention are described and claimed in my copending applications aforementioned, and the purpose of the present application is to describe and claim certain particular features thereof. g

I have illustrated as an embodiment of a device suitable for mypractice, a mill having `as its housing a single casting forming vertical columns 20, 2|, andcross members 22. The working rolls 24, 25, are to be driven, andthe thrustupon them is transmitted by a pair of idler rolls 26 and 2'|, two for each working roll, to backing up devices in the form of a series of shafts with rollers upon them, generally indicated at 28. As described in my application Serial No. 31,698, the shafts may be supported on a series of journal members whose outer peripheries are curved eccentrically to the journals and seated in similarly curved channels in the frame cross niembers. By adjustably rocking these journal members the mill is adjusted as to its pass.

As an entrance feeding device, I have illustrated in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, two drums 30 and 3| close together mounted respectively on shafts a and 3|a; the drum 30 being driven andthe strip 3 passed three-quartersl around each of them. 'Ihe drums may be faced with friction material. and geared together if desired. The function of the drum 3| in the particular embodiment shown is that of causing the material to wrap about the surface of the drum 30, and to change its direction for the purpose of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1. In order to increase the frictional engagement of the strip 3 with the drum 38, I provide a sheath 32, fixed at one end to a ksuitableimmovable support, and having means at the other end to draw it'tightlyabout the surwhich is a driven drum 35, mounted lon a shaft a' with a sheath-.or chain of rollers 36 about its periphery, which chain can be tightened around the drum by the power mechanism 31, 38 and the rollers of which are driven by being geared to the' drum.`

'Ihe -strip 3 passes from the feeding-in device,

through the mill and throughV the feedingf-out In my system the device. If the strip is an -endless strip, there may be provided a take-up means consistingof a drum 39 mounted on a carriage 40, operating on tracks 4 I. The strip 3 passes around this drum, and the carriage has applied to it a tensional force through a cable 42, by some suitable means not shown.. Since the tensioning-of the strip as it is being actively worked in the mill is accomplished by the feeding-in and feeding-out devices, it is not necessary to exert any tension on thestrip at either end of the mill beyond these devices, excepting such tension as may be required to take up the strip, or to help to hold it against the frictional driving means of the feedingfin and feeding-out devices.

VIn Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, I have illustrated certain forms of pulling devices. Referring to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the numeral 30 illustrates afeeding drum. The strip is again illustrated at 3. The sheath or device for holding the strip tightly against the drum 30 comprises a series of shafts end in journaling means 89 vfor the last shaft, which journaling means are attached to a fixed support 90. .The other end is similarly provided with journaling means attached tothe power tensioning arrangement indicated at 33 and 34, or 31 and 38 in Fig. 1. As the sheath is `tensioned in this way, the ring members 86 tend tobecome elongated..` Great pressure may thus be exerted in holding strip 3 against the drum 30, without at the same time building up frictional resistance to the` movement of thestrip 3 with the drum 30.

- I have shown in Fig. 6 another type of Afeeding device; in which the drum 3U, around which the strip 3 passes, is provided with a flexible external sheath 9|, which is endless, and which passes y over pulleys 92 and 93 adjacent the drum 38, and

a pulley 94 interspaced therefrom, which pulley is mounted both for rotation and for sliding movement. Thevsheath member 9| may be tensioned against the drum 30 by pulling outwardly upon 4the pulley 94 in the direction of the arrow. While great pressure may be exerted upon a drum in this way, the sheath 9| is adapted to move with the drum so as not to retard the movement of the strip 3. I f

Other types of feeding devices may likewise be employed. By way of example. the drum 30, as indicated at 95. may be shapedto provide core sections, with windings 96 positioned therein so as strongly to magnetize the surface of the drum. 'I'his alone has been found suicient to hold the strip 3 strongly thereto, where the strip 3 is fairly thick. Where the strip 3, however, is relatively thin, there may not be a suff'lcient mass of the metal in the strip'to be held to the magnetized drum with suicient strength for my purpose. Where a magnetized feeding device is to be used with thin strip therefore, I prefer'kto'make the sheath member 9| of magnetizable metal, having a relatively heavy mass. This can be accomplished by using for the sheath member 9|, iron or steel link chain of the type used in chain link drives.

intervals in the form o'f a differential gear, the planetary element of the drive which is convenient.

elements of which are controlled by oil-operated motor-generator devices, I5 and Irespectively. These matters are more fully discussed in my said Patent No. 2,169,711. f

The drum is driven through a shaft 30a,

andthe drum as is driven through a shaft a.

`The pairs of rolls 26 and 21 are driven respectively by the pairs of shafts |03 and |04.

The differential gearing device is shown in my application, Serial No. '742,075 `filed August 30, 1934. I have indicated the gearing in general for driving the exit puller as I6, and the gearing for driving the entrance puller as l5. I have shown also in connection with each set of gearing an oil pump and. oil motor device for controlling the' differential element. I will now` briefly describe these parts.

Each differential includes a pinion 46 fixed on the drive shaft, driving a series of planetary pinions 41, which in turn mesh with an internal gear 48, which is loose on the shaft 45, the external teeth of which form part of the drive. The planetary pinions are mounted on the web of a sprocket 49, idle on the shaft of *l the pinion 46. The gear 48 is held fast or driven by a worm 50, which is, in turn, driven by the oil motor generator transmission.

The oil device includes two similar elements, one pumping oil and the other driven by the oil pumped. The pump element is driven from some A good form of device is one in which a series of pistons are driven around in a frame having cylinders for the pistons. Whether the pistons move in and out depends on `the position of an `eccentric ring that can be brought into contact with the piston rods. Devices of this character are known in the art.

The worm 50 either holds the gear member stationary, or drives it in one direction or the other. This controls the speed of motion transmission between the drive shaft 45 and the gear 49. The shaft 45, as shown in Fig. '7, is the drive shaft from the motor 29, and in the respective planetary gear arrangements the gear 49. is the gear which is coupled, as by a chain drive, to the feeding-in or feeding-out devices.l

In the specific embodiments of my invention 'which I have herein described, I have illus-l trated the rolling of an endless band of metal.

It will be understoodY that my invention is not restricted thereto. It will be understood that my arrangement is equally as well adapted for the rolling of continuous supplies of metal which are not endless, in the sense that opposite ends are joined together. Thus in feeding my mill, separate stripsor sheets may be welded together before the material is fed to the mill, and finished pieces may be cut voi after the material haspassed through the mill. The forward and reverse rolling may, of course, be practicedv upon any length of -rnate'rial in the mill, and the'mill may then be set up and operated for the rolling of discontinuous lengths of metal. However, it

This motor is also directly coupledA will be' understood that in the rolling of discontinuous lengths, there is bound to be some end wastage, for which reason I prefer to roll a con-l tinuous supply, at least so far as the mill and feeding devices are concerned. Differenttypes of pulling devices may bey employed, and with different types of pulling devices. the exertion of such tension on the strip ahead of the feedingin device and beyond the feeding-out device, as may be necessary for the operation of the pulling devices, Will-be within the skill of the worker in the art to provide.

In the companion applications I have claimed the process aspects of rolling, as respects the matter of keepingthe elongation constant, as

well as certain broad apparatus aspects having to do with this particular feature.- In this application I intend to cover certain Vof the me-A chanical elements and combinations. Inasmuch as modificationsmay be made in my invention without departing from the spirit thereof,.it will `be understood that the appended claims are not limited otherwise than by their express terms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: A

1. In a tension rolling millhaving means for taking up the elongation of the strip, feeding means having substantially no reducing function and located between the bite of the reducing rolls and the take up means, said fleeding means comprising a rotating drum, power means to drive said drum, anti-friction means for holding a strip of metal in frictional contact with said drum to impart a predetermined linear velocity to the strip, said means comprising a flexible sheath having a fixed support at one end, and a movable support at the other end, and power means for actuating said movable support, said sheath comprising a plurality of rolls disposed in parallelism with the axis of said drum, and flexible means interconnecting said rolls.

2. In a tension rolling mill, feeding means having substantially no reducing function, said feeding means comprising a rotating drum, power means to drive said drum, and anti-friction means for holding a strip of metal in frictional contact with said drum, said means comprising a flexible sheath having a fixed support at one end, and a movable support at the other end, and power. means for actuating said movable support, said sheath comprising a plurality of rolls disposed in parallelism with the axis of said drum, exibleprneans interconnecting said rolls, and means for rotating said rolls at peripheral speeds bearing a fixed relationship with the peripheral speed of said drum.

3. In a tension rolling mill, feeding means having substantially no reducing function, Said feeding means comprising a rotating drum, power end, and a -movable support at the other end,

and power means for actuating saiclif/ movablev support, said sheath comprising a plurality of rolls4 disposed in parallelism with the axis of said drum, flexible means interconnecting said rolls. and means lfor rotating said rolls at peripheral speeds bearing a fixed relationship with` theperipheral speed of said drum, said last mentioned means comprising gears on said rolls and a gear on said drum meshing therewith'.

V4.- A flexible sheath for holding sheet 'metalcomprising a plurality of rolls adapted to be dis-r i .relatively flexible metal rings encircling adjacentk `posed in parallelism with the axis Loi? said drum.

pairs of said rolls, fixed supporting means for one end of said sheath, and movable means for the other end of said sheath. i I

5. A feeding device for tension rolling, mills, said feeding vdevice comprising a drum, power means for rotating said drum, a flexible sheath surrounding a portion of the arc of. said drum and adapted to press a strip of metal against said drum throughout said 'portion of said arc, meansl for pressing said sheath against said drum and means for providing. movement of said sheath with sald'drum, there' being less than a single convolution of said strip in contact with said drum.

6. A feeding device for tension rolling mills, said feeding device comprising a drum, power means for rotating said drum, a flexible sheath surrounding a portion of the arc of said drum and adapted to press a strip, vof metal against said drum throughout said portion of said arc, means for pressing said sheath against said drum and means for providing movement 1of said sheath with said drum, saidv means comprising auxiliary drums, said sheath passing around saidauxiliary drums, two. of said auxiliary drums being disposed on opposite sides of said drum and thus holding said sheath against said*y drum, another of said auxiliary drums being movable toward and away from said drum to vary the tension on said sheath, there being less than a single convolutionl of said strip in contact with said drum at alltimes.

7. A feeding device having substantially no reducing function and intended for. use in tension rolling, said feeding device comprising a drum, a magnetizable sheath travelingV with said drum and outside a strip of metal to be fed thereby for holding said strip against said drum power means for rotating said drum, and means for magne- `tizing the surface of said'drum to hold'said strip of metal and said sheath-thereagainst.

8. A feeding device having substantially no reducing function and intended for use in tension rolling, said feeding device comprising a drum,`

power means for rotating 'saiddrum, means for magnetizing the surface f saiddrun to hold a.

strip of metal thereagainst, ineans providing a relatively large magnetizable mass for increasing the effective force of magnetism on said strip, and means for providing movement of said last mentioned means with said drum and with said strip.

9. Av feeding device having substantially no reducing function and intended for use in tension rolling, said feeding device comprising a drum, power meansfor rotating said drum, means for magnetizing the surface of said drum to hold a stripof metal thereagainst, means providing a relatively large magnetizable mass for increasing the effective force of magnetism on said strip, and means for providing movement of said last mentioned means with said drum and with said strip,

said means comprising auxiliary drums, a band of magnetizable material passing around said auxiliary drums, two of said auxiliary drums be ing disposed on opposite sides of s aid drum and thus holding said band against said drum,

10. In a tension rolling mill, means for simultaneously propelling and tensioning that portion of thestrip which lies between the bite yof ythe reducing rolls and said means, said means `comprising a rotating drum, common power means for imparting a rotating motion to the .rolls at a certain speed and for simultaneously imparting a rotating motion to said drum at aspeed bearing a definite relation to` the speed of said rolls, and means for holding a single strip of metal in frictional contact with less than 360 degrees of arc of said drum.

11. In a tension rolling mill, means for tension- A k ing the strip by imparting to it a motion at a speed correlated to the peripheral speed of the reducing rolls, said tensioning means comprising a rotating drum, common power means for impartingarotating motion to the rolls-at a certain speed and for-simultaneously imparting a rotating motion to said `drum at a speed bearing a definite .relation to the speed of said rolls and means for holding a single strip of metal in fric- .tional contact with less than 360 degrees of arc of said drum.

12. In a tension rolling mill having means for taking up the elongation of the strip, feeding means having lsubstantially `rio-reducing function and located between the bite of the reducing rolls and the take up means, said feeding means comprising a rotating drum, power means to ,drive said drum and anti-friction'means for pressing the strip against said drum in a plurality of places along its surface of contact therewithto increase the friction between the strip and the drum t0 impart a predetermined linear velocity to the strip, said means comprising a flexible sheath having a :fixed support at oneend and a movable support at the other end, and means for actuating said movable support. k

13. In a tension rolling mill, having means for taking up the elongation of the strip,y feeding means having substantially no reducing function and located between the bite of the reducing rolls andthe take up means; said feeding means comprising a rotating drum, power means to drive said drum, and a sheath for pressinga strip of metal tightly against the surface of said drum to 1mpart a predetermined linear velocity to the strip,said sheath consisting of a plurality of rolls and means for pressing each of said rolls against the surface while maintaining their position in parallelism with the asis of said drum.

14. In a tensionvrolling mill; feeding means having substantially no reducing function, said feeding lmeans comprising a rotating drum, power means to drive said drum, and a sheath for pressing a strip of metal tightly against the surface of said drum, said sheath consisting of a plurality of rolls, and common means for simultaneously pressing all of said rolls against the surface of said drum, so that eachiroll is pressed with a force equal to that of the other rolls, irrespective of the absolute value of said force, and so as to preserve the position of the rolls in parallelism with the axis of said drum;

15. In a tension rolling mill having means for taking up the elongation of the strip, feeding lmeans having substantially no reducing function and situated between the bite of the reducing rolls Vand said take up means, said feeding means `comprising a drum, common power means for feeding means comprising a rotating drum, power means tov drive said drum'. and anti-friction means for holding a strip of metal in frictional contact with said drum, said means comprising a plur- A.

ality4 of rolls disposed in parallelism about the periphery of said drum, and a series'of staggered flexible means, certain of said\sries interconnecting certain of said rolls and others'of said series interconnecting others of said rolls, and

means for rotating said rolls atperipheral speeds bearing a fixed relationship with the peripheral 10 A speed of said drum.

l TADEUSZ SENDZIMIR. 

